Use of Biochar in Agriculture and Carbon Neutrality – Trends and Future Prospects

Abstract

To achieve carbon net-zero by 2050, carbon dioxide removal （CDR） technology is needed to offset difficult-to-remove greenhouse gas emissions associated with essential activities. Converting biomass to biochar is one of the low-cost ways to provide CDR at a scale large enough to significantly mitigate climate change. The use of biochar in agriculture has the potential to combine CDR with significant agricultural co-benefits to achieve sustainability. An important milestone in establishing a methodology for estimating biochar addition to soil is the biochar guidance developed by IPCC in 2019. In response, Japan reported biochar in the national greenhouse gas inventory and registered biochar as a new J-credit method for the agriculture sector in 2020. This paper outlined guidance for estimating biochar addition to soil and reviewed the latest trends in the use of biochar in agriculture. Finally, the future prospect for biochar use for sustainable agriculture and carbon neutrality was discussed.